Lucinda washed the last of the suds off a plate and set it aside, then leaned on the counter and sighed. Still in her probationary period as a dishwasher, she'd not had many opportunities to talk to Clara, who was having to do double duty cooking and waitressing. To tell the truth, Lucinda was chafing a little bit. Chafing to get out and talk to the customers in the diner, to do something besides washing dishes.
But more than talking to Clara about waitressing, Lucinda needed to tell Clara about her conversation with Aurelian, and their intent to pursue marriage, or at least courtship.
She straightened up as she heard footsteps in the passage between the kitchen and dining room. Wiping her hands on her apron, she turned to face Clara. Face Clara. Lucinda's lips jerked upwards. The girl was not a firing squad, so why did she feel so intimidated?
"Oh, you're back. Good." She smiled awkwardly, leaning her back against the counter. "Do you have a moment? I need to talk to you about something. It's nothing bad!" she hastened, pushing away from the counter and taking a step forward.
"At least...I hope you won't think it's bad." Realizing that she'd probably successfully first worried and then annoyed Clara, Lucinda stopped, folded her hands together, and waited for Clara's response.
It was just another work day really, Clara was so used to it by now. It kept her busy and her mind occupied. And while Lucinda may have chafed at not getting to work out front, Clara really appreciated that the woman kept the dishes washed and dried and ready for yet more uses. Plus the woman did help in the cooking, even if it was just adding this or that on Clara's instruction, or stirring or taking a pie out of the oven before it burned.
Now she went back into the kitchen, leaving off a tray of soup bowls from customers who had just paid and departed.
"Oh, you're back. Good." Lucinda smiled awkwardly, leaning her back against the counter
Clara blinked. Well of course she was back. It's not like she had left the building.
"Yes, indeed like the proverbial bad penny, I am back," Clara nodded a bit bemused
"Do you have a moment? I need to talk to you about something. It's nothing bad!"
Hmmm, Clara wondered suddenly if Lucinda had dropped a fresh pie on the floor or put too much salt in the soup of the day.
"Of course," she nodded, after setting down the tray.
"At least...I hope you won't think it's bad."
"Well....hard to make a judgement on an unknown topic. Go on please," Clara pointed out.
Well, at least Clara appeared to be in a good mood. Lucinda slid the tray and bowls closer to the sink, then at Clara's urging she began to speak, meeting the younger woman's gave.
"Thank you for cooking last night. I enjoyed spending time with you and Wyatt and...your father." Now she looked away as she tried to decide what to say next. "Especially your father."
She frowned thoughtfully, then smacked both her hands on her apron and looked back at Clara. "Well, I don't think there's really a tactful way to say this. Your father and I want to begin a courtship. Lord willing--and with your and Wyatt's approval--" here Lucinda let one dimple show "--we intend to marry eventually."
There. She'd done it. She exhaled, then quickly continued. "Your father values your opinion, so I know he'll listen to any...concerns you might have about this. You're in the unique position of being my employer, but I know that you're fair."
She smiled as she said the last sentence, then folded her hands, squared her shoulders, and waited. Such news was sure to come as a shock to Clara, even if she'd picked up on their attraction to each other or had her suspicions earlier.
"Thank you for cooking last night. I enjoyed spending time with you and Wyatt and...your father." Now she looked away as she tried to decide what to say next. "Especially your father."
Clara nodded, "My pleasure really. I like to see my father happy and to be blunt Wyatt far prefers my cooking to his father's often sad attempts."
"Well, I don't think there's really a tactful way to say this. Your father and I want to begin a courtship. Lord willing--and with your and Wyatt's approval--" here Lucinda let one dimple show "--we intend to marry eventually."
Clara stood there stoically...though that was quite normal for her. She heard every word of course but was just taking it all in. But Lucinda was not quite done yet.
"Your father values your opinion, so I know he'll listen to any...concerns you might have about this. You're in the unique position of being my employer, but I know that you're fair."
Clara let out a little breath then replied, "Well....let me say I am very glad you threw in that 'I'm fair' line because had you said I was a demanding tyrant I would have just fired you here and now."
She said that deadpan but it was her way of attempting humor.
"But as far as my approval......I am happy for my father. I believe him to be lonely and I know he could use a woman's company...oh and skills around the home too. If you two wish to marry, I will be very happy for the both of you," Clara stopped then, that pretty much covered it she felt.
Lucinda couldn't help playing with her apron while Clara talked. When Clara said that she wanted her father to be happy, she crossed her fingers underneath her apron. Hopefully her declaration wouldn't be enough to change Clara's mind.
"Well....let me say I am very glad you threw in that 'I'm fair' line because had you said I was a demanding tyrant I would have just fired you here and now."
Lucinda laughed a little breathlessly, although she couldn't help raising an eyebrow at Clara's deadpan humor. It paid to be honest, and play up the truth sometimes, as she'd done when convincing Clara to hire her. But now...what did the girl actually think of what Lucinda had to say?
"But as far as my approval......I am happy for my father. I believe him to be lonely and I know he could use a woman's company...oh and skills around the home too. If you two wish to marry, I will be very happy for the both of you."
Lucinda blinked. That was it? No long talk to convince Clara she didn't want to steal Aurelian away; to promise she wouldn't turn into an evil stepmother like in the stories?
She tilted her head to one side. "I...I'm glad to hear you say that." Relief made her shake her head, then she crossed impulsively to Clara and grabbed at her hands, hoping the sometimes prickly young woman wouldn't pull away. "Oh, Clara, you don't know how glad I am to hear you say that! I know I've only known your father for a while, but I believe this will be good for him, and for me too."
Lucinda blinked. Clara just stood there silently.
The woman tilted her head to one side. "I...I'm glad to hear you say that."
Then she crossed impulsively to Clara and grabbed at her hands,"Oh, Clara, you don't know how glad I am to hear you say that! I know I've only known your father for a while, but I believe this will be good for him, and for me too."
Clara flinched ever so slightly in discomfort but did not pull her hands away, she was slowly but surely getting better about such things.
"I do not know if he told you but he apparently met my mother and they got married in a span of a few months. Impulsive perhaps. He would no doubt say 'decisive."
"I should warn you about one thing though. Wyatt is a typical boy. Not a troublemaker. But you must be stern with him when it comes to his schooling. He will use every excuse in the book to try to get out of homework or do his best to get you to do some of it for him, especially when it comes to arithmetic. I brooked no excuses. Both father and I want him to get a good education, I am in the hope you will to."
Lucinda barely noticed Clara's flinch as she pondered the younger woman's words. "Decisive indeed. And impulsive." She smiled a little, letting go of Clara's hands and thinking of how decisive Aurelian had been in mentioning wedding plans. "Both very apt descriptors of your father."
She wanted to add that Aurelian was also rather handsome, but felt like now was not the most opportune moment.
She paid attention to Clara's warning, wanting to know everything she could about the family she would be marrying into. At least it wasn't anything bad. Wyatt was just a boy, and boys hated school. At least that's what she'd seen from her brief stint at a regular school.
"Oh. Well, that will be interesting. I'm not used to being stern." She twisted her mouth, one dimple showing as she imagined sitting at the table in Aurelian's house with Wyatt. How would she be able to manage him? He seemed like a nice boy, but boys were stubborn.
"Both father and I want him to get a good education, I am in the hope you will too." Clara's last words made Lucinda nod vigorously.
"Oh, of course! An education is of utmost importance. Even if he decides not to make use of it, it can't hurt his mind at all. Does Wyatt like to read?"
The hardest part of their conversation over, she felt comfortable enough to attend to the bowls Clara had brought in, sliding them into the sink and pushing the tray aside. "I have a chest full of books I couldn't bear to get rid of, even out here. Gulliver's Travels, Pilgrim's Progress, and the like. I might be able to use those to help motivate him. You know the saying, catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."
To tell the truth, she wasn't sure that Clara did know the saying. And if she did, it was unlikely that she lived by it.
Clara nodded, yes, the words did do justice to her father. She saw both as endearing though for she dearly loved her father. Actually she thought she had been indeed fortunate to have such a loving set of parents. She only could hope that Jacob and herself could comport themselves as wonderfully raising their child. Or children if that should follow.
Clara then continued by pointing out the importance of being strict with her little brother when it came to school. He was the reluctant learner alright and the older girl had to often lay down the law to see to it that homework was completed, that sort of thing. If Lucinda was going to step into the role of parent then she better take it seriously. Loving her father was important but being willing to be a useful wife and devoted parent just as vital.
"Oh. Well, that will be interesting. I'm not used to being stern," Lucinda replied.
"Well then get used to it," Clara was deadly serious about this of course Clara was deadly serious about most things.
"Does Wyatt like to read?"
"I have a chest full of books I couldn't bear to get rid of, even out here. Gulliver's Travels, Pilgrim's Progress, and the like. I might be able to use those to help motivate him. You know the saying, catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."
"Therein is the rub. No, he hates to read though he is passable at it. When he was younger he did love to be read to. Father would do it, I would do it. Of course Mother too until..." Clara stopped mid sentence.
"Best motivation is to threaten to punish him. Take away things he likes. He likes food of course being a growing boy but I do not like to deprive him of that of course. No, make him stay inside on a beautiful day or like now in the summer he loves to go swimming. Forbid that til he does what he is required to do. Anyhow, Father will help you with all this and back you to if you lay down the law," Clara explained.
Lucinda hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe I can get him to enjoy being read to again. I like to do voices when I read. I used to want to become an actress. I had that drummed out of me fairly quickly!" She laughed, plunging her hands into the sudsy water again. Actresses were as good as harlots, her mother had told her, bidding her put all thoughts of performing aside, unless it was a tame piano piece or operatic air for a small, intimate, after-supper gathering.
At least Clara was willing to give her advice, proving that the younger woman really did care about the success of Lucinda and Aurelian's relationship.
"Best motivation is to threaten to punish him. Take away things he likes. He likes food of course being a growing boy but I do not like to deprive him of that of course. No, make him stay inside on a beautiful day or like now in the summer he loves to go swimming. Forbid that til he does what he is required to do. Anyhow, Father will help you with all this and back you to if you lay down the law."
She frowned dubiously. "Well, I suppose you know what works. I'm determined to try. I can't let him run wild just because I've never parented a boy before."
Or parented any child before, for that matter. Marriage, she'd done before. Motherhood...that hadn't panned out yet. Speaking of motherhood...
She glanced at Clara's middle. "Are you and Jacob hoping for a boy or a girl?" Now that they were going to be in-laws at some point, Lucinda felt entitled to ask a slightly more personal question.
"Maybe I can get him to enjoy being read to again. I like to do voices when I read. I used to want to become an actress. I had that drummed out of me fairly quickly!"
Clara readily conceded the first part, "Wyatt probably would enjoy you doing that I would think. But that would be you reading, not him. One learns reading best by reading."
Now she had firmer advice pointing out the woman should not be afraid to use the threat of punishment, not physical but withholding privileges and such. It worked for her with Wyatt. Well, that and Wyatt knew she NEVER bluffed. At times Wyatt could sweet talk Father but never her.
Lucinda frowned dubiously. "Well, I suppose you know what works. I'm determined to try. I can't let him run wild just because I've never parented a boy before."
"I do not wish to intimidate you over all this, Wyatt is a fine boy. You just have to tolerate in many ways he is a typical boy. Be fair with him and he will like you and obey...perhaps with an occasional grumbling," Clara declared.
She glanced at Clara's middle. "Are you and Jacob hoping for a boy or a girl?"
"I believe Jacob wants a boy. Only makes sense really, carry on the family name, that sort of thing," Clara answered.
"Now me, I am fine with either. However, I pray that it be a healthy baby. One with a good chance of survival. My mother lost a baby and it was heartbreaking."